Gold Coast company Engenuity Solutions, led by Chris Hawley, at forefront of wave park technology after work with Surf Lakes

A small engineering firm in Robina has played a key role in developing a world first wave park.

The prototype wave pool in central Queensland designed by Surf Lakes, with the help of Gold Coast firm Engenuity Solutions.

A SMALL engineering firm in Robina is an unlikely place to find a company at the forefront of wave park technology in Australia.

But, that is exactly the position electrical engineering specialist Engenuity Solutions, led by Chis Hawley, has established after playing an integral role in the design and construction of the Surf Lakes prototype park in Central Queensland.

Surf Lakes previously announced its first commercial “5 Waves” man-made inland lake will be built on the Gold Coast and was expected to be operational by next year although that date may be extended.

The concept, touted as a world first, works through the creation of concentric waves that radiate outwards in the lake from a central wave generator to create a pulse or swell, pumping out waves of various sizes, length and difficulty.

Engenuity Solutions co-founder Chris Hawley.

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Mr Hawley, who started the company with his father Phil Hawley in 2013, said he was approached by Surf Lakes founder Aaron Trevis in 2014.

“He knew my dad through other networks. He had a concept for how to build a wave park but was looking around for an engineer to see if he could turn that into a reality,” he said.

“We met him in a pub at Mt Tamborine and sketched some ideas and that was the beginning of that.

“We then did some feasibility work for him, designed and built three different scale models, one on the Sunshine Coast and one in Melbourne.”

The prototype wave pool in central Queensland designed by Surf Lakes, with the help of Gold Coast firm Engenuity Solutions.

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Mr Hawley said each model got bigger and more complex, leading to new designs for the full-scale prototype, which was built halfway between Rockhampton and Yeppoon.

He said it took several years to complete the full-scale design. Engenuity Solutions was responsible for the electrical control and mechanical engineering part of the project.

“The difference (between the scale and full scale models) was between lifting up a foam model a few metres wide to create the wave and lifting a 1200-tonne ‘bowl’ (the wave generator in the middle of the lake) 4m by 26m. It is a big beast.”

He said the concept is unique in the wave pool sector with the generator pumping out a pulse to create waves every six seconds and 2400 per hour.

The prototype wave pool in central Queensland designed by Surf Lakes, with the help of Gold Coast firm Engenuity Solutions.

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“That pulse or swell goes out and breaks on eight different breaks simultaneously so you can have eight people taking off on that same wave. The waves are dictated by what the bottom of the lake looks like. One might be a nice rolling beach break whereas another one is a heavy barrel.”

Mr Hawley said the final result was a workable full-scale prototype that Surf Lakes can take to investors and licensees as proof of concept.

He said the main engineering challenge was creating the machine to lift the ‘bowl’ — sometimes referred to as the plunger.

“You are trying to move a great weight very quickly and all those things combined are not replicated anywhere else. The mechanics of how you do that is quite complex.”

The prototype wave pool in central Queensland designed by Surf Lakes, with the help of Gold Coast firm Engenuity Solutions.

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Mr Hawley, who established the business so he could move from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, said after several years of strong growth the company had entered a consolidation phase.

“We were almost doubling our revenue and staff each year. In the past year we have taken time to consolidate and make sure we have the right team, systems, management, before we grow again,” he said.

“As we have taken on staff … we have been very keen to leverage off what people are passionate about and what they are good at.

“One of our lead engineers is passionate about hybrid energy and renewables.”

Mr Hawley said the business enjoys being at the cutting-edge of electrical and mechanical engineering.

Another of its projects involved working on the installation of Axis Energy’s hybrid micro-wind turbine, which runs via a combination of solar and battery power. The turbine was slated to be built on the Gold Coast but has ended up at the Eat St Markets in Brisbane.

“We’re in the final stages of commissioning that now.

“Founder Peter Kittel approached us because he noticed the work we were doing with mechanical/electrical designs. We like to do things that are different.”